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Last modified: Monday, 19-Nov-2012 16:36:34 EST
Sexual Assault and Dating Violence What to do
If Your Friend Is Sexually Assulted
Your friend may feel different kinds of pressure and distress:
The assailant may try to manipulate your friend into feeling sorry for the assailant in the hope that your friend will decide not to tell anyone about the incident.
The assailant may have had sex with the victim when the victim was too drunk or too high to say no.
The assailant might have suggested that something bad would happen to your friend if the victim did not give in.
Your friend may also experience any or all of these emotions:
Shock
Disbelief
Anger
Mood swings
Irritability
Denial
Fear
Helplessness
Embarrassment
Depression
An inability to concentrate or relax
Disturbances in eating and sleeping
What You Can Do...
Encourage your friend to get in touch with their feelings.
It is okay if your friend needs to vent about what has occurred.
Assure your friend that when a person doesn't stop when they have been told no, that person is wrong, not the victim.
Recognize that coping with sexual assault is a long-term process. For some people, the emotional impact of sexual assault can be immediate and relatively short-term. For others, the effects are longer lasting.
Your friend may find it helpful to talk to a counselor trained to understand and assist victims of sexual assault.